


Tales of Chaos (Trp)

by Fawkespryde



Category: TwitchRP
Genre: Characters and relationships will be added as prompts get added, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25601323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawkespryde/pseuds/Fawkespryde
Summary: Chapter one: Give me a break (Commander Chaos, Paul Forester)Chapter two: The devil in me (The Jinkster, O'Malley, Jerry, Robot)
Relationships: Calvin Chaos/Paul Forester
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Give me a break

**Author's Note:**

> ***  
> This is where all incomplete drabbles and prompts for Trp will be going. If the chapters cut off suddenly or end abruptly, it's because I lost the drive to finish it or I wrote myself into a corner.
> 
> If any of these end up being picked up again, I'll make a note at the bottom of said chapter. I hope you enjoy these messy drabbles that are most likely out of character now because I wrote a bunch of them before the server depression era.  
> ***

Calvin had done this a thousand times before. He had the process down to a science at this point and could have done the whole thing with his eyes shut. He saw the flash of silver as the railing came into view and grabbed a hold of it. His body easily hoisted over the side and the ease of it was a constant reminder of how much weight he hadn’t gained at all. Even attempts at more frequent meals did little to quell that angry little monster inside him that revolted at the feeling of any food touching his lips.

To put his lightness into perspective, what was once an easy hop and roll turned into a trip and a stumble as he badly hit the ground running. His ankle wobbling at the landing and a dull ache set into that foot. Calvin was very much aware of his stinging palms and was fortunate that he had been wearing gloves. He undoubtedly was going to have some bruising there from taking the brunt of the impact. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Calvin heard the thud of shoes on either side of him and knew without having to look that Jason and Death Reborn were at his side. 

The screech of tires came barreling up the hill and the familiar face of Fingle dan was staring over at them with the grin of a man who had very little to lose and everything to gain from another car chase with the police. It was moments like this that made Calvin feel invincible. The cocky sure fire way he bantered with the officers once they showed up to the scene. The subtle gestures and glances between him and his crew as they silently agreed to his course of action. The spike of adrenaline from running out of the bank and into the warmth of the sun, dodging tasers and howling like dogs without leashes.

But sometimes, even doing things so repetitive and methodical as robbing a bank had its setbacks. Calvin should have realized it when he hit the railing too hard and landed terribly. His boys that were usually a step behind him had easily outpaced him and were throwing open the two doors facing the bank. That fact alone should have set off alarms and the way his leg throbbed went ignored as he dove over the hood in a slide to get to the one unoccupied seat. As he came around, he heard Fingle yell an obscenity and there was the discharge of a taser that impacted the side of the vehicle. 

In response to that, Fingle revved the engine and the car moved forward just enough that the door handle escaped Calvin’s grasp. He had to chase after the car that moved more and just as he got close, the brakes were slammed and he skidded across the length of the car painfully. A wheeze fell from his lips and he saw the sky for a moment as he had been thrown off his axis. The shouting of Fingle to get in was overpowered by the sound of more sirens closing in and he heard the yell that he never thought he’d hear in a thousand years.

”Just fucking drive!”

Calvin was dizzy and while he was trying to comprehend who had said that, he heard the sound of approaching foot falls and demands for everyone to get out of the vehicle. He forced himself back onto his feet and chanced a glance behind him. Two cops, approaching fast. There was no way he’d be able to get in before they fired again and from the way they aimed, he knew they had every intention of taking out their driver. Calvin had to make a spur of the moment decision and as he made eye contact with Fingle in the rear view mirror, he committed himself to the plan. With a single nod, he placed his hands up slowly in surrender and watched as his crew drove off without him.

It was a victory but it felt hollow and tasted bitter in his mouth. It also felt like another taser as he collapsed to the ground and convulsed painfully. He let out a pained gasp that came out filtered and staticy as hands enclosed around his arms and forced him into cuffs. It all happened so fast and Calvin almost collapsed again once he was yanked to his feet by the eager cadet. The familiar drone of his writes were white noise in comparison to the voice that reverberated in his head. ‘Just fucking drive’ Jason had said. Or had it been Death Reborn? Did they really intend on leaving him here to take the fall? Did Fingle know? Had he agreed with them? Had that look he gave him been one of pity and not understanding?

“Commander Chaos.”

Calvin heard that oh-too-familiar tone and it cut through the droning cadet like a knife to butter. His gaze raised up from the asphalt and caught sight of copper hair that looked wild under the light of the sun. He swallowed the need to hurl from vertigo and steadied his breathing, drawing as much courage to put on the show that he knew his arch nemesis craved. The aching in his body was ignored in favour of standing tall and he let out a catort of wheezing laughter. “Well well Paul. We meet again. Come to foil me once me. My arch nemesis?” He hissed out and could hear the strain in his own tone as his voice took on the heavy rasp of his Chaotic persona.

“But it seems you are already too late. My associates have already escaped and you’ll never catch them now.” Commander Chaos gloated and took great satisfaction in the way Forester’s brows furrowed and his arms crossed in a disapproving display. “You may have me but we both know, your victory is a hollow one.”

Forester approached at a steady pace and glanced around casually before squinting at him from behind his shades. After a long moment he tilted his head to the side and stared out into the road. “You say that now but I know for a fact that when we bring you back to the p.d your boys are just going to hop the fence and get themselves caught anyways.”

“-or they get the drop on you and you let me go… again. Three on one, Paul. It’s not looking good for you. My crew will-” Commander clicked his tongue in a chiding tone.

“Did they seriously not come back?” Forester interrupted Calvin’s gloating with a curious musing of his own. He scratched under his beard and glanced over at one of the cadets who had given up on trying to read Calvin his rights and had instead chosen to pat him down. “That’s… uncharacteristic of them.”

Calvin frowned behind his mask as his pockets were being emptied on the hood of the nearby cop car. He knew he had nothing illegal on him from the bank but knew from experience that his scepter would more than likely be removed now that Forester was here. He grunted under his breath one last time before dropping the gravily tone of his Commander personification. “Look, things got a little bit messy. With the cadets being trigger happy and all that, I told Fingle to go so he wouldn’t get tased out of the car.”

Forester watched him intently and his demeanor seemed to shift as Calvin lurched forward suddenly before catching himself from falling. It seems whatever injury he sustained during that fall had taken more out of him than he had thought and now with the adrenaline wearing off, he was starting to feel the aches and pains. “You weren’t armed when I got here. Was he brandishing in the bank?” That last question was directed at the cadet who looked up at him from his position, currently patting at the cuffs of Calvin’s pants.

“None of them were as far as I saw.”

“So you took it upon yourself to-” Forester trailed off with a long exhausted sigh and brought a hand up to his brow, pinching it as if it would alleviate the stress of what he was dealing with. “Never mind. Look, normally I would let you book him seeing as how you're the responding unit but seeing as how the Axis of Evil is probably camping out at the bridge waiting for him to be dropped off. I’ll do it.”

“You really think you can stop them all Paul? Your overconfidence will be your inevitable undoing.” Calvin cackled even as his forearm was taken by Forester and he was guided towards his cruiser. He exhaled for a long breath once the door was open and feeling that the moment was done, went quiet once he was snug in the backseat. He leaned back and did his best to get comfortable and take some weight off of one of his legs that ached with every step he had taken up that point. When Forester got in he put on a tough geist and sat back up, refusing to show just how injured he really was in the face of his nemesis.

“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I mean, they did leave you at the scene of a crime. That’s kind of sloppy if you ask me.” Forester tutted, drumming his gloved fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. He pulled out of the intersection and started down the road at a casual pace, making no qualms about being in no rush.

Calvin couldn’t find it in himself to complain about that. Let him have his chance to brag on the ride there. It would only make his future victory over Paul taste that much sweeter in the end. “And what if I told you that was the plan?”

“The plan was for you to be injured during a robbery and then left as a result so you can take the fall for their crimes? Doesn’t sound very evil to me.”

“I’m not injured.” Calvin snapped back.

“Then why were you limping back there?” Paul gave him a look like he didn’t believe him for a second. Not that he ever did. He always had a vexed aura that followed him like a storm cloud.

Calvin looked up to see Forester staring at him through the mirror and his shoulders deflated under his gaze. Talk about being a killjoy. Why was his arch nemesis so infuriating? “I was just trying to play it up, hoping the cops would go along with it and give us the chase we wanted. I wasn’t aware that we were dealing with tweedle dee and tweedle dumbass back there or I would have just started shooting instead of letting them tase me.”

Paul hummed in response. “Yeah I saw that as I arrived. Don’t think they’ll be getting off scott free for that. I assure you, we take firing on criminals who are not brandishing weapons seriously.”

“Sure you do… And who’s idea was it to pair up two cadets?”

“Not mine. I can tell you that.” Forester affirmed as he took the small pathway that went under the bridge. He passed by another cop car leaving the back entrance to the police department and Paul drove through the gated section before parking. The two of them sat in silence for several heartbeats, both waiting for the inevitability to occur. After a long dramatic moment of composure that was uncharacteristic for Forester, he finally exited the vehicle and stepped around to open the back door for Calvin. “Come on out. Watch your head.”

Calvin got out with a pained pinch to his brow and was thankful for his mask. He hated how sore he felt and refused to admit it but he relished the idea of going to prison and getting a comfy bed to rest in. Shame that wouldn’t be happening since Jason and the others were going to break him out any second.

He stepped up behind Forester and eyed the low wall that his crew usually jumped to get into the area. He kept his head straight but his eyes remained trained on that spot, awaiting the sound of rustling bushes and feet hitting the pavement. Any second now.

“Commander.” 

Calvin looked over to see that Paul had gotten to the stairs and had stopped to wait for him to join him. He tried not to let his frustration known and gave one more glance in the direction of where his rescuers would arrive. He didn’t care if Forester followed his gaze this time. He didn’t care about being subtle anymore. Both of them knew what was supposed to be happening but it wasn’t and his frustration was plain as day in his body language.

“Commander.” Forester repeated once more and his tone left no room for arguments. 

With a heavy outward sigh, Calvin tried to suck up the betrayal he was feeling deep in his gut and followed him into the department and down into the cells below. He scrunched his nose up as his leg gave away on the final step down and he started to tedder. Before he could tumble face first down the stairs, he was caught by a strong hand at his arm. Calvin looked up at Forester and quickly glanced away to prevent himself from saying something stupid like thank you. He bit his tongue to prevent him from saying something about how strong Forester was and how nice those arms looked thanks to the short sleeves he chose to wear. How he'd love to run his hands over them.

“Dammit Calvin, why didn’t you say anything about your injuries earlier?” Paul sounded tired but it thinly veiled the worried undertone of his words. It was one of the first times he ever heard his actual name fall from those lips and Calvin found himself liking it. Paul's head was tilted low enough that his eyes could be seen over his sunglasses, his gaze dark and piercing as if daring him to lie to him.

“I wasn’t that bad. I think…” Calvin trailed off and exhaled at the seering glare he received. He bit his tongue and continued. “Okay, I think I may have landed on my leg wrong. But it’s not broken. At least, I don’t think it’s broken.”

Forester nodded, satisfied with the truthful answer and brought an arm to Calvin’s side. He eased him closer so he could take more of his weight. “Alright, just lean on me and keep off that leg. I’ll have someone check on it for you once you're in the cell, okay?” At Calvin’s distracted nodding, he aided him down the hallway and down the second flight of stairs before they stopped in front of three empty cells. 

Must have been a slow night. Usually there was at least one person Calvin knew that he could chat with while waiting to be processed but today it was looking like a ghost town. He was allowed to pick his cell and he chose the one with the bars closest to the stairwell so he could listen to the conversation of any arriving officers. He liked being nosy after all. After one more pat down, the cuffs were removed and he took a seat on the bench, getting comfortable for what he could only assume was going to be a long boring process. He could only hope that Paul would be lenient and grant him some served time for coming with him without a fuss.

“I don’t want to tell you your business or anything but I can’t imagine working with people like that will get you any farther into your evil plans Commander.” Paul chastised as a medic showed up and set the brace on Calvin’s ankle. “They left you at the bank and then they didn’t show up to save you.”

It was just a sprain luckily but it was a bad one and he’d have to keep weight off it for at least a week if what the ems was saying held any merit. Hopefully, he’d be able to be up and walking around after a long nap. Regardless of what he was told to do, he would not just sit still and do nothing. Evil never rests. “Like I said before, it was all a part of the plan.” Calvin casually deflected, ignoring Forester the best he could.

“Well your plan is getting you ten months so I hope it worked out in the end.” Paul gave him a long stare and waited till the ems was back up the stairs before he spoke again. “Then again, you don’t actually have any stolen goods and you didn’t draw your pistol so maybe, I’m thinking a fine and a-”

“Don’t.” Calvin cackled dryly and slouched in his seat, tiredness seeping into his bones. He removed his mask so he could take the ibuprofen provided to him by the medic. Once he threw them back with a few sips of water, he turned his tired gaze on the cop who stared back unflinching. “Don’t give that to me Paul. You won this round. That’s all it is and nothing more.”

“You think I’m taking it easy on you?”

“There will be many, many more times in the future that I will rise above victoriously. You won’t always be able to stop me Paul. One day, you’ll slip up.” Calvin continued rambling. He refused to acknowledge that maybe the man was being nice to him. Were arch nemesis’ meant to be this kind? Were they supposed to carry your weight when you were injured and treat you with more tenderness when others were absent?

“Calvin.”

Just hearing his name alone had a pleasant tingle go down his spine and he lavished in the way Paul’s lips formed each syllable. Calvin looked up at him through the bars of his cell, tired but content with the results of what had occurred so far. Sure, he didn’t get away but he got to spend time alone with Forester. That had to mean something, right? “What Paul?”

“You know, I’ve never met someone who goes back for their own so frequently. Your boys get nabbed at the bank and ten minutes later, you always show up at the station guns blazing and demanding for them to be let go. Even now, you're going to prison and taking the fall for your team-” Calvin already knew where he was going with this and gritted his teeth as he continued. His eyes narrowed at Paul who was smirking back at him with crossed arms. “That’s actually kind of heroic when you think of it.” 

Calvin turned bright red and got flustered, exhaling a loud breath in a frustrated whine. “Oh shut up and just send me to prison!” He tightened his grasp on his mask and glared angrily at the floor before pulling it back on. By the time it was tucked back under his turtleneck, his cell was being opened and he was led to the transport that would take him to prison. 

Forester cuffed him and helped him into the truck. Just before closing the door behind Calvin, he glanced off to the side before leaning in and lowering his voice to a whisper. “It’d be a shame if that helicopter that was just reported stolen turns up at the prison.” Without another word, Forester gave him a long indistinguishable look before closing the door again and patting the outside of it with his palm to signify to the driver that he was good to go. 

The ride to the prison was long and boring but it gave Calvin plenty of time to think over what Paul had said. The whole time he had thought that his crew had abandoned him. He had tried to push it to the back of his mind but no matter what he did, he could hear his friends yelling at Fingle to drive off without him. It had only gotten worse at the police station when no one came for him like he had initially thought would happen. But maybe this was the plan the whole time? Maybe they had intended to always pick him up at the prison. If that was the case, then why did he feel that pit in his stomach still?

Was it really that heroic to take the fall for his team? Was Forester right in that regard? Calvin stared down at his lap as he thought more on the subject before shaking his head vigorously. No way. The things he said, the things he did.. They were pure evil. He knew it to be true. He couldn’t let that man get in his head anymore. Forester said things that had him questioning the things he did and it was… distracting. He didn’t have the luxury of allowing himself to dissect the feelings he had whenever that man was around.

***


	2. The devil in me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is just a temporary place until this whole situation gets settled, okay?” O’Malley stated in a tone that he hoped came off very authoritative but the masked man just grinned before trying to set his expression into one of innocence. Jinkster nodded at him but that wasn’t good enough for him. “No, I want to hear you say it.”
> 
> The Jinkster giggled and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Ok, ok. I understand.. Once we kill satan, we both go our separate ways.”

O’Malley walked up the steps of the church and ducked under the line of police tape to get inside. A quiet moment of contemplation fell over him the minute the heavy wooden doors were closed behind him. There was a distinct lack of any sound coming from outside, no cars, no people… no Jinkster.

He closed his eyes and let out a long exhale before staring down the main aisle with a fixed expression of determination. There was still the heavy smell of chemicals in the air as he walked past each row of pews. The further up the nave he got, the worse the smell got to the point where he had to rest a hand over his mouth and nose so he could breathe easier. Some pews were no longer lined up and one was even toppled as if someone had hopped over it. The wet shoe print confirmed his suspicions and O’Malley nodded to himself as he took in the mess left around him. There were several more bullet holes embedded in the floor since he had last stepped in here. It looked like someone had cleaned the blood up from the earlier incident where the masked criminal had shot ‘Satan’ but the area was far from in perfect order.

O’Malley eyed the scorched stains still remaining across the altar steps and took a knee next to it to trace a gloved finger across it. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together and brought it up to his nose, confirming by the smell that it was indeed gasoline. He glanced around and noted the indent in the ground and a bullet hole in a nearby pew. It looked like a richchetted shot. If what his fellow officer told him was correct, this is where the satanic stand-off took place. He got up from his crouch and eyed the pulpit before him. It was still resting on its side like someone had knocked it over in haste. The book that usually sat on it was nowhere to be seen. 

He approached it and gently picked the lectern back up, setting it where it had originally stood. The front of the church would definitely need renovation before any sort of congregation could take place in the future but it still seemed wrong to leave such an important iconography laid on the floor forgotten. O’Malley shifted the heavy wooden podium back so it was facing the empty rows of pews and took a step back to assess his work. A slow sigh fell from his lips and his brow furrowed as he glanced about the room. He crossed his arms already feeling another headache coming. 

None of this made any sense to him and it felt strange to be back here only hours after the incidents that had preceded within its walls. He knew that the Jinkster was unstable at the worst of times, irrational at the best but this seemed off even by his standards. Their last interaction had put him under the impression that Jinkster was currently rearing up for a holy crusade. That fact had been backed up by the numerous accounts of arson and ‘cleansings’ that had taken place since Jinkster had just walked out the church with that smug little swagger of his. The accounts of a break in at the mines and the numerous people they had to round up there for supposedly meeting Satan had backed up all those claims but this one didn’t add up.

The arriving officer on scene had informed him that Jinkster had been conducting acts of satanism and trying to burn the church down. That he had arrived to find the aisle covered in gas and three individuals claiming that he was burning stuff down in the name of the devil. Of course, the three people that had been on site had been Randy, Jerry and a man who referred to himself as ‘The wizard’ so their accounts could have been completely falsified. Drama always seems to follow that group of people. But surely a fellow officer certainly wouldn’t lie to him, right? 

O’Malley stared up at the ceiling as if the answer he sought was above him but he found nothing but the high peaks of the church beams overhead, scorched and blackened from the rising heat of the fire that took place. He rested a palm at the back of his neck and grimaced, his brows furrowing in frustration. If it was true and Jinkster was really back after months of being away just to go on a holy crusade, then he was definitely going to have to bring him in. He was so not looking forward to that if that was the case. The man was a slippery one for sure, having escaped him on a few previous occasions. It’s not like he could call him up and convince him to turn himself in either since he quickly found out that the number he had belonged to Robot.

As he thought more on that, O’Malley glanced around and after not spotting the bible around the altar stairs, he did a full turn on the spot. It didn’t look like there were any charred remains left around. Perhaps someone took it. O’Malley was slightly peeved with that fact. Stealing was one thing but stealing from a church felt awfully low. He took a personal offense to that. The church had always been a place of quiet contemplation for him, a place where he could take a break from all the chaos outside. It was a home away from home. This building had seen many moments of weakness and vulnerability on his part. The idea of someone damaging it upset him quite a bit.

There was the squeak of rubber on marble behind the altar that drew O’Malley’s attention immediately. His head whipped in that direction and his hand lifted to his belt, seeking out the stun gun holstered there. The area had been cleared out by other officers earlier so the building should be empty. Unless of course someone disregarded the police tap and entered illegally. That wasn’t out of the realm of possibility though. It had happened before.

“This is Officer Carrick O’Malley of the LSPD. If someone is there, please make yourself known.” O’Malley lifted up the stun gun and held it before him, raised up and steady as he took a step forward. He paused, bracing the gun with his other hand and waited for some sort of response. There was nothing but heavy silence that followed after his words and it clung to him, even the noise from outside being muffled behind the large wooden doors of the church. There was no response at all so he risked taking another step and came around the corner. As he got closer, he spotted two shoes. They were black sneakers with small studded spikes all over the toe. They looked awfully familiar and it tickled the back of his brain as he tried to recall where he had seen them before. His aim lowered once he fully came around the corner and confirmed his suspicions. “Jamie? Is that you?”

He fully holstered his stun gun once he noticed how unresponsive the other man was. The Jinkster was sitting with his back to the wall, head tilted back and feet splayed out before him. There was the smell of gasoline that clung to his clothes and the closer he got, he recognized something clenched tightly to his chest. It was the missing bible from the lectern. O’Malley lowered himself to one knee once he was next to the masked man and noticed the faint rise and fall of his chest. Jinkster was still breathing but from the looks of it he was unconscious. He quickly glanced over his feature to check him for any injuries but found nothing to explain his sudden appearance and the state that he was in. It was almost like he had popped into existence right there.

“Jamie?” And to think, several moments ago he assumed that tracking down a warrant on the man would be difficult. The masked criminal was a slippery one. Not that O’Malley was going to look a gift horse in the mouth but he was curious as to how and why the Jinkster was here. The church wasn’t exactly the most subtle place to hide if that was what he was doing. Especially after he had set fire to it just hours ago. O’Malley raised his voice and rested a hand on his shoulder to give him a little shake. He felt the body jolt from his touch and revolt away. In his haste to pull away from his touch, Jinkster’s head leaned back and cracked along the back of the stone wall behind him. He mentally flinched at that, worried that the man may suffer a concussion from the blow. “Calm down, it’s me.”

The Jinkster rose a hand to the back of his head and was making irritating noises, his legs kicking out before him from the pain. His eyes scrunched up behind askew rose tinted glasses and he grumbled under his breath as he continued to rub at his balaclava. The bible slipped from his loosened grasp and landed face down on the floor next to him. After a few more moments of panic, the masked man finally relaxed and tilted his head up to look at him. He adjusted his glasses and through the rose tinted shades, O’Malley could see those eyes glaring at him like he was the one at fault for his bruised scalp. “Benjamin..”

“No, that’s not right..” O’Malley shook his head at him but refused to correct him again. He knew by now that the man was just doing it just to get a rise out of him. Especially since he learned from fellow officers that Jinkster had specifically asked for him by name when he was looking for a priest. He let go of Jamie’s shoulder and reached forward to grab the bible that was still crumpled on the floor, closing it carefully so none of the pages would get dogeared. “Jamie, what are you doing here?”

The Jinkster looked around like he was seeing where he was for the first time. He stumbled a few moments to find the words before speaking up again. “What do you mean? I was chosen by the big G himself. Should I not be at a church?” His expression was playful but his tone was as confused as to why he was there as well. His lips curled into a teasing smile and a hand waved before him in a over the top sweeping gesture.

“Jamie, I don’t want to get into this debate with you again so I’ll just come out and say it.” O’Malley wasn’t just going to let him talk his way out of the situation again and set the bible on the ground. He stood up and rested on hand at his belt, prepared to draw at any given sign of aggression. There were consequences for all actions and the fact that the Jinkster had been allowed to walk away and then ride off in a car after shooting a man while on his watch had left him a bit sore. He wasn’t going to let him get away. Not this time. “I’m placing you under arrest.”

“Me? But why? I didn’t do anything but invoke the justice granted to me by Him.” Jinkster got up onto his feet a bit unsteadily and leaned a hand on the wall. He didn’t make it subtle that he was looking for a way out, his head glancing around for the exit. Leave it to the masked man to already be looking for a way to weasel out of the situation he had gotten himself into. “Besides it’s not like the crusade worked out as planned in the end after all.”

“Did you just say ‘Crusade’ as in a ‘sanctioned holy war’?” O’Malley bit his tongue after he let loose those words, angry at himself at how easily the criminal got his attention. Jinkster had a way of getting under peoples skin, whether he knew it or not and it had him furrowing his brows at the fact that it had even worked on him. He was not at all happy with the distraction and retrieved his handcuffs from the back of his belt. With the other hand he made a twirling gesture for the Jinkster to turn around and face the wall. “Never mind. Just.. put your hands up where I can see them.”

“But don’t you want to know more about the satanists running around the city? The people that are possessed by that hellish fiend himself?” Jinkster jibed, trying desperately to get himself out of the situation. His hands lifted up as he stared down at the weaponry on O’Malley’s belt and he chuckled nervously. “Really, they are the ones you want and I can lead you to them.”

O'Malley wasn’t hearing any of it and grabbed one wrist, turning him to face the wall. He didn’t like getting rough but it was obvious that the man wasn’t going to cooperate of his own free will. “Jamie, you shot a man in cold blood right in front of me and I have multiple accounts that you attempted to burn the church down.” He bent one of the Jinkster’s arms behind his back and rolled up the sleeve so he could cuff the wrist. Once it was tight enough with a click, he reached for the other to find it being waved around in indignation.

“No, you don’t understand. They lied! I’m telling you. They were possessed by Satan and came after me. They cornered Robot and myself in the church.” He continued to struggle as his arm was finally grabbed and that wrist was cuffed as well. The Jinkster glanced over his shoulder at O’Malley, his eyes wide and his expression one of pure panic. He squirmed and dug his heels in to push against O’Malley’s weight once he tried to get him to move. “You’re making a mistake. I swear I wouldn’t lie to you.”

O’Malley bent down, grabbing the bible with one hand and with the other, he led the Jinkster through the church. He kept a tight grip on his forearm as they walked and had a hard time keeping the criminal moving as he continued to jerk back and forth like he would bolt at any given moment.. “First of all, one of the reports that came in was a police officer. His words are more reliable than the other acquaintances that reported you for starting a fire in the church. Secondly, you lie to me all the time Jamie. In fact I think the only time you didn’t lie to me was when you introduced yourself as ‘criminal mastermind’ on day one.”

He settled the book back onto the podium as they passed it and started walking the masked man down the aisle. They got about halfway when Jinkster dug his heels in again and started to put up more of a struggle. He threw his head back and yelled loud enough that his voice bounced off the walls. “But I’m not lying this time, I swear. Benjamin, they chased us down and tried to kill us.”

“Will you stop-” O’Malley tried to push him a few more inches but it was apparent that the other man was not above throwing himself down like a child till he was crumpled into a pile of dead weight in the middle of the aisle. He could already feel a headache coming on and for once wished that he had taken that vacation that Forrester insisted he go on. He definitely needed a break after this. “Ok, fine. I’ll humour you. Who exactly is trying to kill you?”

Jinkster’s grin was lopsided and he looked up at him over the rose tinted shades. He looked pleased as punch that he had gotten his way yet again. “Ok, well, here’s the thing. At first it was just Randy. He had been acting weird when we got into the tunnels but as soon as we all realized he was possessed, it was already too late. Jerry started screaming and took out his bat and started to hit people. Then I saw him.” His voice lowered into a conspiratory whisper and his eyes darted back and forth like he was afraid of someone hearing him.

“Who?” O’Malley sighed in exasperation, pinching his brow and contemplating whether he should just start dragging him or not. Judging from the way the Jinkster started to get comfortable on the floor, the masked man had every intention of making this story long and drawn out. It was just as he started to cross his legs, when he reached down and grabbed a forearm again. “No, none of that. Get up!”

“It was Satan. He was there. There was fire and everyone was screaming but Robot and I got away. Oh my god, where is he?” The Jinkster had gotten distracted again and trailed off into a series of mutters that sounded like a child's rhyme but with Satan’s name added to it. It didn’t make sense but then again, very little did when it came to Jaime.

O’Malley managed to get him halfway up before he became dead weight in his hands again. His lips settled into an unimpressed line but he kept his cool despite the childish display being shown. He would not lower himself to the masked man’s level. That was what he wanted. “Robot? He’s probably back at his store.”

“Look, you need to call him. He can confirm all of this. Satan has possessed all my friends.” Jinkster’s lips immediately curled into a bitter frown like he was angry at himself for saying the ‘f’ word. He looked up with dark eyes and furrowed brows, scoffing to himself. “Well, not my friends per say. They were more like acquaintances. Actually… not even acquaintances. Hey Benjamin what’s a term for someone you don’t know or care about but they sort of do what you ask without question and you know so many of them that they’re kind of expendable at that point?”

O’Malley stared at him long and hard before realization hit him and a coy smile curled across his lips. A brow rose in an amused gesture and he shook his head back and forth not believing what he was hearing. “Why Jamie, you’re not experiencing positive feelings towards other people, are you?” He hinted at the man’s ploy at being emotionally uninvested with everyone he ever met. O’Malley had never bought that act for a second, especially when he began calling him Benjamin. The man may be an enigma on the best of days but even he knew that the Jinkster relied heavily on other people… even if he refused to acknowledge them as friends.

The Jinkster stared at him for a long time and looked taken aback. He started to argue but had to stop a few times as he appeared to blank out on what excuse to use. His eyes darted around the room before falling to the floor in deflated defeat. Seeing that nothing he’d say would get him out of the mess he had made, he settled for getting back up on his feet with a grumble and started to walk towards the front door. “Oh shut up and just arrest me…” He sounded exhausted and judging from his tired steps and singed jacket, he could probably use some rest and a change of clothes back at the precinct. 

Taking him by the forearm, O’Malley led Jamie down the aisles of pews towards the front door. His radio crackled to life to notify him of an incident occurring at a nearby bank and he reported in stating that he was bringing someone in for questioning and that they should expect him at the precinct soon. The Jinkster grumbled incoherently the whole time and seemed really irritated by the static the radio made so he put it on silent to placate the cooperative man. He pushed open the front door and had to squint from how bright it was outside. Once adjusted to the brightness, O’Malley started down the front steps with the Jinkster in tow.

They were halfway down the steps together when the screeching of tires stopped them in their tracks. O’Malley paused as the two of them got to the sidewalk, worried that a car was going off the road and was surprised as a familiar vehicle pulled up next to them stopped in their field of view. He recognized the car from the colours and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. It belonged to Randy and bristled at the idea of him coming to pick up the Jinkster. It wasn’t the first time that he had been walking out of the same church with the criminal only to see him slip into a car and be driven off without any sort of punishment. He tensed up and one hand fell to his side in a subtle gesture, thumb tracing over the belt where his stun gun was. 

O’Malley could only hope that this was just a coincidence that Randy was here and that he wasn’t going to cause any trouble. But from the blazing look in his eyes, it was becoming quite apparent that was not the situation at all. It never was simple and O’Malley was getting more and more nervous at the prospect of more criminals coming to start trouble for him. Never a dull moment in this city, truly. He was very much aware that there were passengers in Randy’s car and that he was now outnumbered, with one hand barely able to keep a grasp on the trembling man at his side. O’Malley was by himself and had no backup so if things went sour, he’d have no one to rely on but his own training. His nervousness only grew as he recognized the other person sitting in the seat next to Randy. 

Jerry the Breaker. The fully armoured man was deathly still and was cradling his bat across his lap like it was something delicate. His head nodded towards Jinkster like he was talking about him but the mask made lip reading impossible and he couldn’t tell what he was saying. The two criminals looked strangely calm in the vehicle but not very conversational. Usually they were hooting and hollering insults and jokes back and forth as they drove around like frat boys and caused mayhem. But now, there was none of that and it was almost more terrifying. They were just staring intently at them from Randy’s car. No, he slowly came to realize as he followed their gazes. They were staring at the Jinkster. 

This did not look good in the least. O’Malley grimaced and tried to pick up the pace to his truck but in this instance, what was just a few feet felt more like hundreds of miles away now. His heart was beating heavily in his ears and the seconds that ticked by only made the tension of the situation grow. The sound of car doors opening had him on edge. He glanced over his shoulder to see Jerry and Randy approaching and his hand fell to his belt once more, popping the button that kept his stun gun secured in its holster. 

Jerry was leading in front of the two of them, his bat hanging limp in his grip like he hadn’t a care in the world. The metal tip scraped loudly on the concrete as he followed them with casual strides. An ever imposing figure, even when silent, O’Malley knew not to take him lightly or take his eyes off him. Many officers had found themselves on the business end of Jerry’s bat and he refused to be added to that steadily growing number.

“Boys, move along. I have things under control.” O’Malley continued to walk, his grip tightening as he felt Jinkster tremble and try to pull from his grip. He grit his teeth and glanced down at the man he was holding onto, murmuring a quiet ‘settle down’ under his breath to get him to stop fighting him. Now was not the time for the Jinkster to be causing him a fuss. He doubted he would be able to placate him and the two angry gang members coming up on them. Jerry was hot on their heels, now less than a few feet away and he looked very much like he was ready to break someone. O’Malley felt a tug in his grip and made the mistake of taking his eyes off of the armoured man approaching them to glare at the Jinkster. He gave him a look of disapproval as if to ask ‘Really? You're going to cause issues now too?’ 

Even despite Jamies squirming, he managed to get them halfway across the street when there was the heavy pattering of boots on the asphalt behind him. O’Malley’s instincts kicked in and he grit his teeth, his body reacting before he could even see what was going on. He was forced to let Jamie go and rotate himself to meet whatever was coming at him, already having a suspicion on what it was. He had a split second to see that it was Jerry as he suspected and he braced himself, lowering a hand to his holster to grab his stun gun. O’Malley prided himself on being a quick draw but in this situation, Jerry was even faster and he was way too close for him to aim properly. With gritted teeth, he lifted his gun up just as the armoured man was bringing his bat across. The metal of the bat made painful impact and the gun flew out of his grasp and clattered to the ground. It skittered across the concrete out of reach.

“Jerry, don’t do something you’re going to regret!” O’Malley called out, his arm stinging from the impact. Bruised but not broken, he considered himself lucky in that regard. Not many got out of a fight with Jerry with anything less than broken bones and concussions. The armoured man took another swing at him and he ducked to the side so the looming form dashed past him instead of hitting him again. The swing was so close, he felt the wind go by his head and his heart thudded heavily in his ribcage. Now was not the time to test his luck to see if he could duck another swing. He had to open the distance between the two of them and try to talk the man down… or use his pistol. But he didn’t want to have to get to that point. He detested having to use it but from the look in his eyes, the crazed man was not listening to him at all. “Jerry!”

The man wearing the bulking armour didn’t seem to even hear him and he didn’t turn around to face him again which had O’Malley immediately regretting his disengaging move. His eyes widened as he realized in that instance that he wasn’t the main focus of the man’s rage. Jerry’s shoulders hunched forward in an unnatural lurch that appeared like a puppet with its strings being pulled. A maddening cackle reverberated from behind the mask and Jerry raised his bat in a threatening gesture towards Jamie who was gaping at him with fear in his eyes. 

“Wait- Wait! No… You don’t want to do this!” The Jinkster had managed to get across the road but with his arms cuffed behind him, he was unable to defend himself. Two steps backwards and he tripped on the curb, his body plopping down on the hard concrete. His glasses fell askew on his face and panic was etched into his pale features. He looked up at Jerry in horror and his body squirmed to put some space between the two of them. The stun gun had skittered close to him and he threw his body out to grab it with his cuffed hands. A look of strained concentration crossed his features as he pulled his feet close to his chest and hooked his arms under them to bring them to his front.

“Don’t bother struggling!” A voice, deep and gravelly fell from Jerry’s lips as he stalked closer to the Jinkster who returned to crawling backwards for every step that the man took. “Satan sends his regards!”

O’Malley recognized the dark plastic in Jamie’s hands as his forgotten stun gun and exhaled heavily, knowing that the man was at least armed in some sense. He heard a wild cackle to his right and grit his teeth through the throbbing pain in his arm before glancing at the other man. He drew his pistol in his uninjured hand and turned to eye Randy warrily who was now stalking over to them with a weapon of his own. “Sir, stay back. If you approach me with that knife, I will be forced to exercise extreme caution.”

Randy didn’t appear to be listening either, his eyes glazed over and distance. He was coming closer and closer, a small content smile on his face like he was high on something. The knife in his hand was being tossed back and forth without a care in the world. He continued grinning and stared blankly past O’Mally and it clicked instantly that he was also staring at Jinkster. Whatever the masked man has done to piss off these two was really starting to worry him. He had never seen anyone, least of all Randy, act so completely intent on harm even when faced with a gun.

There was a squeak of fear behind him from Jamie and the sound of static as the stun gun was being discharged. O’Malley heard Jerry growling like a wild beast and risked glancing over his shoulder to see that Jinkster had aimed the gun at his attacker and hit him square in the chest with it. Not a bad shot for a man who was cuffed and shaking worse than a leaf. The armoured man crumpled on the ground and howled in pain as jolts of electricity forced his muscles to spasm out uncontrollably. He almost felt proud of how quick thinking Jamie had been and turned his attention back to Randy just in time to catch a flash of metal as it came at him.

The blade was aimed for his face but his trained reflexes had him ducking just far enough that it only caught his cheek in passing. The wound stung as the knife passed over skin but it didn’t start to bleed right away. In those few seconds of Randy being in grappling range, he quickly reholstered his gun with one hand and took hold of the arm with the weapon. O’Malley lowered himself slightly, bending his knees and used Randy’s forward momentum to flip him over and toss him onto the asphalt. Randy made a heave as he hit the ground hard but was already up on his feet again once O’Malley reached behind himself to make sure his second set cuffs were still there. “Sir! I said stop!”

“Satan will take you! He’ll take all of you and make you pay!” Randy yelled, his glazed look turning crazed. He raised the knife above his head in a gesture intended for a downward stab. His grin was far too wide and unhinged to be talked down. “Your struggles will be meaningless in the end!”

Randy continued to cackle madly, his eyes wide and wild as he stared O’Malley down. His grin was far too wide and his pupils dilated and unfocused. He looked like a wild animal that had been backed into a corner and all he knew to do was to attack. “He will rule this world as intended. He will claim all who resist!” He took a step forward towards O’Malley and suddenly stopped. His words became a slurred mess as he stumbled forward and his legs buckled under him. He went still and his already glazed eyes became even more unfocused before they rolled into the back of his skull. Randy made one last weak babble before he collapsed motionlessly on the ground.

O’Malley looked over to see Jamie standing behind him with a loose brick in his cuffed hands. His gaze locked with him and his painted lips curled into a shaky smile as he dropped it onto the ground. The Jinkster’s chest was heaving like he had run a marathon and his hands shook something terrible before him. He clasped them both together to try and calm his shaking before he yelped again at the sight of Jerry stirring next to them. The electricity had run its course through his body and he was slowly shaking off the effects with a seething hiss. O’Malley leapt over Randy’s fallen form and practically threw himself at Jerry to get his last pair of cuffs on him before he could become aggressive again. He felt the static still coming off the man’s body as he wrestled him to the ground and clicked the handcuffs around each tactically gloved wrist to keep him from getting up. “Jamie, stay here...” His words fell on deaf ears as the Jinkster was already looking back at the road again in temptation.

“It’s too late.” The masked man bemoaned, shaking his head back and forth. His fight or flight instincts were kicking in and he looked just about prepared to take off down the road had he not been so focused on what was occurring less than a block away from them. He gave O’Malley a fearful look over the rim of his rose tinted glasses. “He’s here..” 

O’Malley bustled at that and followed the criminals gaze to see what looked like two dozen people walking in the middle of the street. Some he had seen before, but for the most part he did not recognize the faces in the crowd of people. They all maintained the same glazed look that Randy and Jerry had and were just as quiet, not making a noise as they approached. Cars had stopped on the road to allow this sudden flash mob of people to pass through unhindered but not without showing their irritation by honking and yelling at the blank eyed crowd of people. The people blocked the street and stood side by side, walking till they got a few feet away before stopping. Their movements were completely in sync and the whole situation became more terrifying and he caught sight of a figure walking out from a nearby alley. 

O’Malley watched with trepidation as the man walked across the street to stop immediately in front of the crowd. The dark suited man stopped before slowly turning to face him. His heart was rapidly pounding in his ribcage and a little voice in the back of his head was screaming that this wasn’t happening. That he was dreaming and he’d wake up in his bed and laugh this off as another crazy dream. But a deeper part of him knew… This was real. The throbbing pain in his hand, the feel of his nails digging into his palm, the cut at his cheek that was now bleeding. O’Malley was aware that this was real and that terrified him.

Lucifer Morningstar. A man that he thought had just chosen an ironic name and mask was now standing before him with a small army of blank faced people at his back. O’Malley was really starting to regret not taking what everyone had been saying more seriously. Even if half of the stories he had heard had come from a crazed Jinkster that just radiated chaotic energy and lies.

The man gave O’Malley a long look from behind the red devil mask he wore and rose his hands up to tug on both sleeves of his gloves in a casual display. He tilted his head to the left and right as if assessing how many people were on either side of him before he seemed to be satisfied with his count. After several tense seconds, the masked man finished tugging on his gloves, crossed his arms behind his back in a patient display and nodded once. It was hard to tell if he had said anything or not because of the distance but regardless, Lucifer looked up at O’Malley once more, tilted his head… and the crowd behind him started to walk forward.

“O’Malley…” Jinkster practically cried out, approaching him and handing back the stun gun with shaking hands. The cuffs around his wrists jingled at the gesture and his head continued to look between him and the approaching crowd of people. “Please tell me you have some sort of holy defense against this.”

Any other day and O’Malley would have gloated and held it high about Jamie’s head that he had mentioned his name, his real name. But from the look of the people approaching and the fear on his face, now was not the time to celebrate his victory. He needed to get them out of here and now. Even if he called back up, there was no way anyone would arrive on the scene in time. As much as he appreciated Jamie’s faith in his powers as a priest, he didn’t exactly have any sort of god-like powers he could whip out in the face of this apparent mass possession.

“Get to the truck.” He indicated with a nod to the vehicle that he had arrived in but didn’t take his eyes off the steadily approaching crowd. They were about thirty feet away and closing quickly. He got off of Jerry and started to back up, feeling the presence of Jamie behind him as he did so. “Now!”

The Jinkster didn’t need to be told twice and took off running. He skidded to a stop once he got to the truck and once at the passenger side, he stared through the window at O’Malley. His hands tugged on the handle rapidly till it unlocked with a click and climbed into the front seat, murmuring to himself under his breath. O’Malley got in a second after him and looked over to see the crowd picking up the pace from a slow wander to a jog. Satan continued to casually walk towards them and for the first time since the incident at the church he heard that smooth tone of his. It sent a shiver down his spine.

“That’s right, my children. Rise and bring me the prophet.” Lucifer extended his hands at either side of his body in a grandiose sweeping gesture and continued to walk like he hadn’t a care in the world. Like he didn’t have an army doing his bidding. Randy seemed to regain consciousness at those words and he lurched forward in a drunken swoon before he got back onto his feet, knife back in his hand. Jerry was the only one who remained on the ground, still cuffed from behind but from the look in his eyes and the way he struggled, if he could, he would be up on his feet as well.

“Ok, this looks… bad.” O’Malley slammed his door shut and started the ignition. His engine purred to life and he shifted into gear, gazing through his rearview mirror to make sure he wasn’t going to back up into anyone. Even if they were so-called ‘satanists’, they were still people and didn’t deserve to be run over. He saw the masked man trembling in the passenger seat and retrieved a set of keys from his vest pocket. “Here. For the handcuffs. Don’t make me regret giving these to you.”

Jinkster took them with a grumble and struggled for several moments to get the cuffs off. Once free, he rubbed his wrists and reached beside him to grab his seatbelt. He clicked it on with a grunt of frustration and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Regret? Oh yes… As in, regretting the fact that you didn’t listen to me earlier?” His tone was raised in irritation and he flinched as one of the people had made it to the car and began slapping the window on the driver’s side. “I tried to tell you. I tried to warn you but oh nooo, you didn’t listen to me.”

“To be quite frank though, you have told me plenty of things in the past that were not true.” O’Malley quipped back, taking hold of the steering wheel tightly and hitting the gas. He spun the truck quickly and safely away from the crowd before taking off down the road in his haste to get away from the scene. “Tell me again, what exactly did you do?”

“So, I’m the one to blame here? Unbelievable… Seatbelt!” Jinkster started to get frustrated at O’Malley’s accusative tone but immediately got distracted by the idea of them driving with their seatbelts off. He waited till it was on before returning to his indignant complaining. “I already told you that I didn’t do anything. God brought me back, chose me to be his champion and now Satan wants me dead.”

O’Malley took a sharp left at the next intersection and began making his way back to the precinct. He had turned on his lights and was using that to help speed up the pace as he could drive past cars that pulled over to allow him to drive by. “You sure it was because of that? I figured he’d be more upset over the fact that you lured him to the church and shot him in the face.”

Jinkster looked over at him with a nervous grin and chuckled. “Potato, potato.. Anyways, it’s not even my fault to begin with. As I told you before… Randy-” His voice trailed off as he looked behind them. He did a double take and stared out the back window of the truck. He grabbed at the headrest and clung to it like a lifeline, fingers digging into the upholstery.

“Randy what? He started it?” O’Malley asked distractedly. He reached forward to grab the radio that was sitting in the cradle in order to call dispatch. He was definitely going to need assistance rounding up the crowd of people if they were still there when they got back. He refused to leave Jerry there cuffed in the middle of the street where he could get run over by accident.

“No! RANDY!” Jinkster yelled again more urgently and the entire truck lurched forward as something hard impacted them from behind. There was the sickening sound of crunching metal and glancing back in the rearview mirror confirmed what he was saying. Randy’s car fell behind a few feet but the front of his fender was completely buckled in from the impact. Only one front light was working from him crashing into their truck.

O’Malley grit his teeth, the radio falling out of the cradle at the sudden slam that had his car swerving on the road. He returned his hand back to the steering wheel and with a two handed grip, tried to control their swerving. It was hard to do, especially with the insane man chasing them in a sports car. He glanced over to see Jamie resting his hand on the ceiling to brace himself from every slam and knew that he had to get them away from Randy and soon. His truck was powerful and could conquer the mountainous terrain of northern Los Santos but it couldn’t outrace a sports car that was built for hitting high speeds in seconds flat. He knew that the truck was strong, it could take a few hits. He had used it before as cover during shootouts in the past. But Randy was attempting to hit him in a way that would make him swerve and crash and if that happened and they got rolled over, it would be highly unlikely that they would be driving away from the situation.

“We’re almost at the precinct.” O’Malley called out, trying to maintain his composure even as two more cars joined in on the chase. He didn’t recognize the cars but he only assumed that they must have come from the crowd due to them cutting cars off and running red lights to catch up. He saw Randy go in for another strike and twisted the wheel so he would go by them instead. His car went screeching by and O’Malley could hear the man's insane yelling as he passed them by. He blindsided another smaller car and sparks flew from the impact before he swerved and barreled into a line of street pylons.

Jinkster cut off his incoherent murmuring to give O’Malley a fearful look. “No no NOnono.. You can’t bring me back there! He’s expecting me there. He knows I’ll be there. You’ll just make it easier for him.” His fingers twitched and he reached forward as if he were about to grab the steering wheel himself but thought better of it at the sound of Randy screaming about killing him.

“It’s the police station. If Satan is really trying to kill you. He won’t be able to get you in there.” O’Malley tried to calm his nerves, eyes darting down to take in the Jinkster’s shaking hands. He needed to placate the man before he ended up doing something foolish. The last thing he needed was him trying to fight for control of the car and cause them to swerve off the road. “You’ll be safe there I pro-”

Jamie glared at him with a wild look in his eyes, he slammed his fist on the dashboard to enunciate his point and it caused O’Malley to jolt. “For fucks sake, will you just listen to me for once?” He looked almost like an animal that had been cornered and was willing to strike at any sign of movement. His shoulders shuddered and he stared down at his trembling fingers, his breath shallow as he tried to calm himself to no avail. “You saw the crowds yourself. He will do anything it takes to get at me. He’ll hurt anyone in his way. If he took Jerry, he can easily take you or any of the other cops that get in his way.”

O’Malley drove in silence for a long time and assessed the way Jamie’s voice was choked in a way he had never heard it before. He sounded absolutely terrified. Then again, Jinkster had gone from being a criminal mastermind to a religious prophet and now, he was a target of some sort of devil cult. He doubted that Satan could influence the officers that he worked with as he had so kindly put it but judging from his panicked gestures, he wasn’t going to drop the subject until he got what he wanted… yet again.

He sighed and turned off the main road. He had lost Randy from him barreling headfirst into a construction site but there were still two cars on their tail. He had to lose them before anything else. “Ok, ok. But if you think I’m letting you out of my sight..”

“Are you kidding me?” Jamie laughed nervously. He continued to glance between the front and back window before finally looking over to meet O’Malley’s eyes. “I’m not leaving your side till Satan is dead.. And done right this time.”

“I am not going to let you shoot a man again!” O’Malley pointed at him in a parenting gesture before grabbing the steering wheel with both hands again. He refused to let the man kill someone, regardless of who he thought they were. It went against everything he believed in.

Jinkster sniggered and grabbed his seat by either side to keep himself from falling out due to the wicked turn he made. He almost slammed into the passenger side window from the speed and had to put a gloved hand up to brace himself. Once he readjusted himself again, he glared at O’Malley. “What are you going to do? Shoot me?.... Oh wait.”

O’Malley gave him a long look before he spotted movement before him. Someone was rolling out a giant green dumpster into the alley and it was slowly closing off their exit. It was just someone taking out the garbage, unaware that there was a high speed chase going on. A thought came to mind and before O’Malley could think to second guess himself, he leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. He spared a glance in the rearview mirror and took a chance. With a determined crease in his brow, he kicked the truck into gear and pressed on the gas. The engine roared to life as he pushed it to the limits and sped passed the bin just in the nick of time. He made it through no problem, and kept both side mirrors intact as he did so. The other two cars, not so much.

He didn’t hear an impact from the cars crashing into the dumpster behind him. It remained in the middle of the street as the forklift that had been pushing it along had stopped to assess what had just happened. He could only assume that the two people chasing him had stopped before crashing and were doubling back to find another route. If there was ever an opportunity to get away from the chase, now was it. O’Malley slowed down to a speed that he could actually drive safely in and shut off the sirens before beginning the slow task of weaving in and out of various streets till he assumed that he had lost them. He ducked into an underground parking garage that he had used in the past for meeting with undercover agents and went up two levels before stopping.

“Did we lose them?” Jamie asked, glancing around worriedly. He had wrapped his arms around himself in a protective gesture as they had slowly made their escape from the cars that had given chase. His lips were curled down in a shaky frown and his eyes darted around before finally settling on O’Malley. “Please tell me we lost them and we’re not just out of gas.”

“No, I’m pretty sure we did lose them. But as for gas..” He trailed off and gazed down at the gauge on the dash, humming as he saw how low it was. There was definitely not enough to get them… wherever he was going to take them. That was another problem all in itself. Where was he going to take the Jinkster? If he could not take him to the precinct because of Lucifer then where else could he hide him? “We’ll need to make a stop before we take you to a safe place. I’m assuming you have some sort of place to stay?”

“Nope.” The masked criminal answered him quite simply, popping the ‘p’ as he did so. He shrugged casually and leaned back in his seat, fiddling with the seatbelt in a nervous gesture. He refused to meet O’Malley’s eyes as he chuckled dryly. “I mean, what do I look like? Some sort of criminal or something?”

O’Malley just gave him a long stare but said nothing, just drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He pulled out his phone and began scrolling through his contacts with a frustrated crease in his brow. Who did he know that could help them? Better question, who could help him and not question this insane story that he would undoubtedly have to explain to them? Half the people on his phone were either people of questionable allegiance themselves or cops. Neither of which would probably get along with the Jinkster. Why was life so difficult? 

After a long moment of silence, it was broken by Jinkster again as the man sighed and slammed his forehead into the dashboard. “Look, I don’t… have anywhere to go. Maybe once but.. Pet and I never… Look, can we just change the subject?” Jamie admitted slowly. He took a deep breath and exhaled like that admission had been the hardest thing in the world for him to do. His hands scratched at the back of his balaclava in a frustrated gesture. 

O’Malley slowly nodded. Seeing such humbling words was something he hadn’t expected from the masked criminal but at least it was a start. “Ok. Well, if I can’t take you to your place-” He started cautiously, not knowing if he was going to regret this offer. His words were cut off by a frustrated noise by the Jinkster who headbutted the dashboard once more before looking up at him.

Jamie pointed at him accusingly before indicating to himself with a thumb. “If you recommend going back to the police station. I swear I will get out right now and just walk.”

“I was actually going to recommend my place.” O’Malley trailed off to let the idea sink in. He could practically see the gears turning in the man's head as he slowly assessed the validity of that suggestion. Apparently the pros outweighed the cons because he saw Jinkster perk up and instantly start beaming at him.

“Well, why didn’t you just say that in the first place?” Jinkster laughed and gave him a little playful elbow. “Wow, it’ll be just you and me? At your place. It’ll be like a sleep over!”

O’Malley sighed but reserved himself to the fate that if he really wanted to keep an eye on the criminal mastermind and keep him safe but out of trouble then he’d have to take him back to his place. Besides, when this whole thing blew over, he was still going to have to arrest him for shooting and killing a man in a church. So at least he’ll get a collar out of this mess. He thumbed through his list of contacts before stopping at one name in particular. He stared at it a long time before glancing over at Jamie. “So, you said something about Robot and you being the only two that had escaped Satan?”

“Yeah but I don’t know what happened to him after the fire at the church. I remember Randy chasing after him but I don’t know..” The Jinkster seemed to pick up on his trail of thought and nodded slowly to himself, a hand curling under his chin as he spoke. “I was really out of it and… maybe he got away. Maybe he can’t get possessed as a robot? I have no idea.”

“So if I called him up and inquired about a ride out of here, he wouldn’t ask questions?” O’Malley asked but he already knew the answer. Robot was a kind individual but had often fallen prey to others' manipulations and ploys. He was far too bright eyed and trusting to be left to his own devices for too long so he often checked in with him at his retail shop to see if he needed anything.

The Jinkster nodded at his words. “Robot? Asking questions? Nah, just send him a set of coordinates and he’ll show up without a doubt.” He broke out into small fits of giggles as if he found the whole situation amusing. After a few seconds he composed himself and brought a gloved hand to swipe under his sunglasses. “Sorry, I was just thinking about the good old times.”

O’Malley hummed in response but didn’t deign to inquire about what those ‘good old times’ were exactly. He doubted the man would give him a straight answer regardless. Jinkster was a pathological liar. Even if he was better at it than most people he knew, he was still a liar by trade. Nothing he’d say would have any sort of merit unless he had evidence to back up his claims. So instead of just sending out his coordinates like Jinkster claimed he could, he instead sent out a brief explanation by text to him and then sent him their location.

(just now) Me: Are you able to drop a vehicle off to my location? I am out of gas and I cannot rely on the precinct for a delivery. I have questionable company at the moment.

He rested the phone on his lap and put his hands back on the steering wheel, trying to bring his breathing back to a normal pace. The adrenaline was wearing out and he was starting to feel the throbbing from where Jerry had struck him with his bat. He ran a hand over the arm and eased the sleeve up with a grimace, eying the darkening skin there. Once again, he was lucky to have gotten away with some superficial bruising and not a broken arm.

There was a beep to indicate that he received a text and O’Malley slowly rolled his sleeve back down to cover his arm back up. He’d deal with the inevitable bruising tomorrow when he wasn’t being chased around by a cult that was hellbent on killing someone that he was already in the process of trying to arrest. Picking his phone back up, he read the text and let out a sigh of relief. Good old reliable Robot.

(a few seconds ago) Robot: I can be there in ten minutes. How many seats do you need and am I going to get shot at?

(just now) Me: Four seats and no, just don’t make any stops on the way here. Second floor of the parking garage.

(just now) Robot: I’m on my way now. 

Jinkster had been getting bored as the seconds had trailed on with nothing but the sound of keys being tapped as O’Malley was texting Robot back and forth. He rocked back and forth before letting out a long exasperated sigh and letting his hand wander till he found the handle for adjusting his seat. Their eyes locked at his grumbling noise before Jamie pulled the handle and the back of the seat suddenly fell backwards into a fully reclined position. He made a happy noise in the back of his throat before sitting back up again. Much to O’Malley’s unamused stare, he continued to rock back and forth to subside his boredom.

“You’re going to break it.” O’Malley responded in a dry tone. He knew even saying something would only egg him on to doing it more but at least the man was remaining in the car instead of wandering off like he was prone to doing. A few minutes of doing this and almost like it had been preordained, he heard the telltale sound of a mechanism snapping with a metallic springing sound. He watched Jinkster try the handle several more times but the seat remained in its reclined position, having been broken by his rough handling. O’Malley lifted a finger and opened his mouth to start telling him that he had told him so but thought better of it at the gleeful look he received in response. No, the man had meant to break it and was looking for some sort of reaction. He was not going to give into his childish provocations, no matter how much he wanted to.

Luckily for him, he heard the sound of a car slowly coming up the ramp of the parking garage and that was enough to distract him from the shit eating grin that Jinkster was giving him. He opened up his car door and got out, closing it behind him as he did so. The car came up to the second floor slowly and after it came into view, it stopped in its tracks. An all too familiar honk resounded from the vehicle and O’Malley smiled, lowering his hand from his gun. He indicated with his injured arm for Robot to park next to the police truck and he knocked on the window to get Jamie’s attention as he passed by the drivers side.

Robot parked parallel to the passenger side of his truck and got out to meet him halfway. His eyes darted down to see who was in O’Malley’s vehicle and the damage done to the fender before a stern frown etched across his features. He looked back up at him and tilted his head in a quizzical tone. “So, when you said questionable company…”

O’Malley smiled at the relieving sound of Robot’s vocals and crossed his arms over his chest. He liked him and appreciated that despite all the crime he had been part of, he had eventually decided to settle down and open his own store. Now if only, he could prevent people from constantly holding it up. “Normally I wouldn’t have included that tidbit but unfortunately I needed you here and I needed it to be subtle.” He nodded his head in the direction of the off ramp. 

“Robot, please tell me that you weren’t followed because I’ve had a heck of a day already and I don’t want to have to deal with anyone else trying to ram me off the road.”

“Hmm let’s just say I’m not exactly eager for any sort of attention myself. Things have taken quite the turn since-” Robot spoke in a sad tone, his words hard to understand due to the choking emotions behind them. “I can’t believe that he’s actually alive. Last I saw him, he was burning alive inside the church.”

“Yeah that’s where I found him believe it or not. Speaking of which, Robot, I have to know...” O’Malley saw Jamie struggling to get out of his tangled seatbelt so he took the brief moment they had away from him to get the real story. He doubted the masked man would tell him the truth without embellishing his godly status again. “What actually happened in that church?”

Robot’s brows scrunched up as he thought back on that and a painful expression crossed his features. He glanced away nervously before nodding slowly and meeting his gaze. “Ok, but I hope you won’t be too mad with me. I already feel guilty enough that I went along with the crusade in the beginning but even more so that I brought the gas that ignited everything.”

“Figuratively or-?”

Robot shook his head again. “No. I was the one who literally poured the gas in the church. Jinkster told me to draw a line so that-” He swallowed heavily and exhaled in a very human-like gesture. “D-Draw a line so Randy and the others wouldn’t be able to get at us. He said it was holy fire and that it would keep them back.”

O’Malley did his best to compose himself and not let his shock be known. In a mixed sort of way, what Jinkster had done made sense. If he had been chased by people who worshipped Satan, of course he would try to seek solace inside the church. But of course, Lucifer had been able to enter the building before so if he or any of his followers tried to come in after him, he’d have a trap laid out inside. The fire. He almost laughed as the realization sunk in.

The officer that had arrived on scene had no idea what was going on. He didn’t know about the cult or the devil. He certainly wouldn’t have known about the ‘holy crusade’ that Jamie had decided to go on. He had no idea what he had walked into and had just assumed that it was a crazed man setting fire to a church. Well, it was a crazy man setting fire to a church but the reasons why he did it was the complete opposite of what he had thought it was.

“The others are possessed by satan.” O’Malley finally stated out loud after a long pause. It was less of a question and more of an admission. He had refused up until this point to humour Jamie’s insane ramblings but here was Robot, backing up his claims.

Robot nodded. “I didn’t believe it either… till Randy chased us all the way from the mines, crashing into our car and telling me that he just wanted to ‘save me’ from him.” He shivered in recollection and was only jostled from those dark memories at the sound of the passenger door opening. “When Jinkster went up in flames, I tried to run but there they were. Randy, Jerry, Wizard. They tried to corner me and.. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t escaped.”

“Where did you even go?” The Jinkster questioned with a suspicious purse of his lip. His arms crossed his chest and he leaned forward, humming in a conspiratorial tone. “You just ran off and now you're here without so much as a scratch on you.”

“I ran out and drove away and I just… drove. I drove and I drove until I was out of gas and then I filled up the gas tank and drove some more. Jinkster, I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I thought you were dead and that they’d come after me next and dismantle me.” Robot stumbled over his words, his servos whirling loudly as he spoke. He was getting upset at himself and his voice got heavy with static the more frustrated he got. “I haven’t stopped in one place for too long since then. How can I when people have been creeping around my retail asking for you.”

“And you told them…?” Jinkster leaned forward, a quirk in his brown as he practically demanded answers from the poor robotic man who was already looking miserable with the situation that he was in. “What did you tell them Robot?”

O’Malley put himself between the two of them, refusing to let the situation escalate anymore. He didn’t need another fight breaking out especially since he now had two people on hand that were apparently on the run from the satanists. He rose a finger at Jinkster in a warning gesture and sighed before glancing over at Robot. “Robot, do you need a place to stay for a bit while this whole thing blows over or-?”

“I appreciate the worry but I think it’s for the best if I stay away from this. I’ve been chased enough these past two days and all I want to do is sleep.” Robot lifted a hand up to adjust the brim of his hat and nodded to himself. “I think I might have a place I can stay now since Fingle just came back into town. I know he’s not the best but.. I think I can trust him to keep me safe.”

The Jinkster narrowed his eyes and puffed out his chest. He wasn’t happy at the prospect of being ignored and stomped his foot like an impudent child.

***


End file.
